Prep took on the Millard North Mustangs in soccer on Tuesday evening. The Jays received a huge advantage halfway through the first half as a Mustang player picked up a red card forcing the team to play the rest of the game a man down. Neither team was able to score in the first 80 minutes. The Jays eventually broke through in extra time, though, when sophomore Junior Noutoua put one in the back of the net at the end of the first extra time period. Prep held off the Millard North and went on to win the game 1-0.

On Wednesday, the Jays played Omaha Northwest for the first game of the Metro Tournament. Having played a game the night before, some of the regular starters did not see as much action as they are used to. In the 32’, sophomore Tommy Braun sliced one into the back of the net to make the score 1-0. Prep did not score the rest of the half. Noutoua came flying out of the gates and scored 19 seconds into the second half. This gave Prep a 2-0 lead. They would add one more goal to their lead as senior Peter Janda scored in the 64’. Prep advanced to play Papillion-La Vista South.

On Thursday, Prep looked to win three games in three days. The only thing that stood between them and this feat was the Papillion-La Vista South Titans. Prep got off to a strong start when senior Shane Grode scored in the fifteenth minute. This gave Prep a 1-0 lead, and they would head into the locker room with this one-goal advantage. Braun scored twice in the second half on goals in the 49’ and 70’. The Jays won this game 3-0. They would advance to play the Westside Warriors on Saturday in the semifinals.

The Junior Jays took on Westside at 1:00 on Saturday in the Metro tournament semifinals at Norris Middle School. It was a close game throughout as much of the action stayed in the middle 40 yards of the field during the first half. The teams seemed destined for extra time before the Warriors caught a break when Prep was whistled for a foul right outside of the box. Westside broke through on the ensuing free kick in the sixtieth minute and went on to win the game 1-0.

Baseball:

The baseball team has played with a chip on their shoulder so far this season as they look to avenge their loss in district play last spring. With this attitude, though, the team has also battled high expectations as the top-ranked team in the state. Each win has helped to at least temporarily put aside the pressure. The game against Lincoln East on Monday night initially appeared as though the Junior Jays might drop their first game of the year. Instead, the resilient squad kept their intensity and went on to win 6-1.

Prep went down quickly in the top of the first and turned the ball over to sophomore Dylan Phillips on the hill. Phillips appeared to be momentarily shaken as an error helped the Spartans push one run across, but he responded to limit the damage. Fortunately, the offense utilized a similar scrappiness to knot the game at one in the top of the second. Phillips dazzled on the mound for the next few innings and seemed to be waiting for the offense to finally break through.

A number of poor breaks stymied rally attempts early in the evening until the fifth inning proved to be the difference. It was a death by paper cuts for Lincoln East who allowed three straight singles at one point in the inning. Senior Brett Vosik plated seniors Zac Luckey and Andrew Morrow to open the scoring in the top of the fifth. He was able to score on an error only two batters later, and senior Lucas Ripa drove in another pair with a sharp single down the line. The tie ballgame had suddenly been transformed into a 6-1 contest thanks to a miraculous two-out rally.

Junior Tommy Steier took over for Phillips and ensured that the five-run lead would hold. He worked a scoreless sixth, and then senior Connor Laney battled through a bit of trouble in the seventh to close out the victory. On a night when frustration mounted offensively, the Junior Jays still found a way to come out on top.

The offense that only the previous night had been shut down for much of the game took out its anger on the Burke Bulldogs on Tuesday night. The lineup, from top to bottom, was clicking on all cylinders in a game that was over right after it began. A seven-run outburst in the second inning was the biggest key to Prep’s 14-3 win in only five innings. The short game also allowed Coach Mooney to rest his pitchers for games later in the week.

Junior Josh Culliver was tasked with facing the Omaha Bulldogs and provided a solid start. He kept them off the board in the first inning before he was given a sizable advantage to work with. In the top of the second, junior Nate Reiner started the scoring with his RBI base knock. He was only briefly on the base paths before sophomore Owen Richter executed a flawless bunt to bring him home. Morrow doubled, Vosik sent one to the opposite field, and senior Lucas Ripa collected a hit to account for five more runs and extend the lead to 7-0. Burke answered with two runs off of Culliver in the bottom of the third, but Prep was still ahead 7-2.

Ripa’s triple, Morgensen’s single, Bergman’s bases-loaded walk, and Bena’s double added an additional seven runs for the already comfortable lead. With the score now 14-2, junior Sean Philbin entered the game to pitch. He was only able to get one out, however, before he was lifted in favor of senior Dane Hansen. Hansen worked out of a bases-loaded jam and ended the 14-3 contest in five innings because of the mercy rule.

Facing one of the weaker teams in the Metro on Wednesday, Prep shuffled its lineup to give some of the bench players more time on the field. It did not matter, though, because the offense still exploded to the tune of 14 runs in only four innings at the plate. The score was nearly identical as the previous night as Prep beat Omaha North 14-2 at home.

Senior Brett Vosik toed the rubber for the first pitch of the game and fired in a strike to set the tone. A walk and superb base running helped the Vikings to score a run without actually registering a hit. Because the Junior Jays went down quietly in the bottom of the inning, North led 1-0 after the first. The second inning was a different story. North got nothing going offensively and saw their short-lived lead evaporate. Senior Evan Bergman, who has struggled at the plate to open the year, brought home a run with his single. Phillips plated two with solid contact and sophomore Owen Richter’s double to the fence brought Phillips around third base. The seven-run inning moved the score to 7-1.

The teams exchanged runs in the third before the Junior Jays added six more in the fourth. The score was 14-2 at that point. Senior Connor Laney trotted out to the hill and shut the door without any drama. The Junior Jays defeated Omaha North 14-2 in five innings.

The baseball team hit the road for Kansas City on Saturday. A doubleheader against a talented Rockhurst squad awaited them there. In the first game, the Junior Jays held the lead for much of the game before falling 7-6 for their first loss of the season. The nightcap was also a close contest at Prep barely hung on to 2-1 lead all the way through the seventh inning. The split with the Hawklets was a promising result that gives the Junior Jays added confidence heading into the Metro Tournament this week.

Track and Field:

The Creighton Prep track team travelled three hours to Kearney, Nebraska for the Kearney Invite on Friday. Kearney High School is a perennial power in the state of Nebraska and is always a good warm-up before the State Championship in May. The 4x800 team of sophomore Ryan Eastman, junior Will Hanafan and seniors Cole Nelson and Joe Ernatt led the way for the Junior Jays by winning the event. Senior Ethan Ruh finished in fourth place in the discus throw, and he also won the shot put throw. Sophomore Jack Slagle finished in second place in the 3200 meter run, and senior John Lukowski finished in fourth place. Slagle then came back and won the 1600 meter run. The Creighton Prep track team did stumble when it came to the sprinting events, but overall the Junior Jays did bounce back. The Creighton Prep track team finished in second place, losing by a mere eight points to Kearney High School.

Golf:

Last week’s golf meet was cancelled due to high winds.

Weekly Preview

Baseball:

The Metro Tournament begins on Thursday. Playing dates, times, and locations are still to be determined, so keep an eye on the CP Varsity Twitter account for more information.

Soccer:

On Wednesday, April 13, the Junior Jays will be the home team in a 6:00 PM contest against Bellevue East at UNO.

On Saturday, April 16, Prep will head out to Grand Island to take on the Islanders at 1:00 PM.

Track and Field:

On Thursday, April 14, the Junior Jays will be running in the Omaha Central Invitational at Omaha Burke beginning at 3:00 PM.

On Friday, April 15, some of the team members will run in the Kansas Relays. The start time is still to be announced.